Tamper-proof lock for valves



sept. 17, 196s F. E. JOHNSON ET AL 3,401,715

TAMPER-PROOF LOCK FOR VALVES Filed Aug. 5, 1967 w 5f 522 30 Z n United States Patent O 3,401,715 TAMPER-PROOF LOCK FOR VALVES Francis E. Johnson, West Boylston, and Daniel Lorusso, East Templeton, Mass. (both Smith Valve Corp., 81 Hope Ave., Worcester, Mass. 01603) Filed Aug. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 658,135 3 Claims. (Cl. 137-385) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tamper-proof lock for a valve which comprises a removable cover for a portion of the valve handle, said cover having an aperture in one side thereof for the recept-ion of a projection on the handle in one direction and a notch in a different portion thereof for reception of a projection on the handle which is located at approximately ninety degrees to the first-named projection, in combination with means to connect the handle and cover together `as for instance a padlock, whereby the handle cann-ot be turned and the cover cannot be removed.

This application relates to a new and improved tam-perproof lock construction for valves such that it is necessary to use a key for instance for a padlock or to break a pin or wire or the like sealed in position with respect to a safety cover immobilizing the handle for the valve, in order to remove the cover to allow the handle to turn the valve. T-he hande can be positioned in either On or Off position without the danger of unauthorized tampering with the setting of the valve by the use of the safety cover.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the Vaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating t-he tamper-proof construction yfor the valve;

FIG. 2 4is a plan View thereof;

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation partly in section l-ooking in the direction of arrows 3 in FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a view in -elevation of the cover looking in the direction of arrow 4 in FIG. l.

The valve under consideration is of more or less conventional construction and comprises a main body portion or housing which has inlet and outlet portions 12 and 14. It is provided with a valve stem 16, the details of the valve and main body portion 10 being conventional.

There is a nut or similar fastener 18 by which the handle 20 is secured to the stem 16, the handle and the stem having flats shown at 22 in FIG. 2, so that the handle and the stem necessarily turn together. The handle is spaced from the body 4portion or housing 10 by a at integral boss 23.

The handle is provided with a pair of outstanding projections located at angles with respect to each other, in this case ninety degrees. One projection 24 is located in prolongation of the length of the handle although to one side of the axis of stern 16 and the other projection is located at ninety degrees thereto as shown at 26 but oiset from the axis of the stem 16. These projections are used to act as stops against a permanent xed stop 28 on the body 10, so that in the illustration in the present case the handle is turnable ninety degrees from a position 3,401,715 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 ICC wherein projection 26 strikes stop 28 or -projection 24 strikes it. It is also to be noted, see FIG. l, that the handle 20 is offset as at 30 from the forward portion thereof upon which the projections 24 and 26 are mounted so that the main portion of the handle which is grasped to turn the Valve, is located in elevated position parallel with respect to the portion of the handle upon which the projections 24 and 26 appear.

In order to lock the handle in either one of the portions, there is provided a locking cover generally indicated by the reference numeral 32. This locking cover has a plain solid top portion 34 adapted to cover the nut 18 as well as the top of the stem and that portion of the handle which embraces the stem. It is provided with side flanges 36 and 38 as well as a rear flange 40. The rear flange 40 has an aperture 41 therethrough which receives the projection 24 and side flange 38 has a notch 42 therethrough receiving the l-ateral projection 26, and it is large enough to include stop 28. Thus looking at FIG. 1, the cover 32 cannot be moved in any direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the handle cannot turn in a clockwise direction because the projection 26 contacts stop 28, and the handle cannot turn in the opposite direction because the edge of the aperture 42 engages the stop 28. Thus all that remains to do in order to make the valve tamper-proof is to lock the handle and the cover together so that the cover cannot be removed, and this is done by providing the forward portions of the flanges 36 and 38 with ears 44, 46 which are apertured to receive a latching member such as the arm 48 of a padlock or the like. A headed-over rivet or the like or sealing wires can als-o be used for this purpose, it being noted that the angular portion 30 of the handle extends between the anges 38 and 36. Therefore the handle cannot be turned with the cover in position, and the cover has to be removed in order to turn the handle.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what we claim is:

1. A tamper-proof lock for a valve having a valve stem and a handle for turning the valve stem, a projection on the handle, a removable cover for a portion of the handle on which the projection is located, a notch in the cover receiving the projection, and a stop on the valve in xed position thereon, said notch also receiving the xed stop, said notch providing a pair of edges in close association with said projection at one side thereof and with the stop at the other side thereof, a second projection on the handle in spaced relation to the rst-named projection, an aperture in the cover receiving the second-named projection, and means to connect the handle and cover together so that the handle cannot be turned `and the cover cannot be removed.

2. The tamper-proof lock yfor a valve recited in claim 1 wherein the projections are at angles to each other.

3. The tamper-proof lock for a valve recited in claim 1 wherein the projections are at right angles to each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 939,108 11/1909 Swank 70-179 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner. ROBERT L. WOLFE, Assistant Examiner. 

